International Commercial Law (LLM)

Why study this course

Commercial law in a fast paced globalised economy presents both challenges and opportunities. Expert lawyers are needed to meet challenges and seek opportunities, particularly when giving advice that can have considerable financial consequences.

Commercial law in a fast-moving globalised economy presents challenges and opportunities. Expert lawyers are needed to meet the challenges as well as to make the most of the opportunities, particularly when giving advice that can have considerable financial consequences.

The LLM International Commercial Law programme is one of our most popular and long established LLM programmes and is respected by top international commercial law firms. It is designed to meet the needs of students and lawyers who wish to study commercial law from an international perspective with emphasis placed on international conventions and agreements and their practical application.

Distinctive features

The LLM International Commercial Law programme:

Provides you with a general appreciation of current issues in specific areas of law, both domestic and international.

Stimulates a critical approach to evaluation of current and proposed regulation and cultivates independent and original thought.

Enables you to undertake in-depth research and demonstrate advanced knowledge in specific areas of law.

The LLM International Commercial Law programme is very flexible and offers a wide range of modules which provide you with the ability to customise the programme to meet your own professional and/or employment needs or interests.

Admissions criteria

This course is suitable for graduates in Law wishing to study commercial law at an advanced level and in its international context. The course is suitable for UK and overseas students, and for practitioners.

You should ideally have obtained at least a 2:1 class degree or equivalent. Applicants with a 2.2 class degree or equivalent will be considered taking into account the application in its entirety.

In addition, applicants whose first language is not English must obtain an overall IELTS score of 6.5 with 6.5 in writing and 6.0 in all other components, or an equivalent English language qualification.

Early application is strongly advised, normally well before the end of July. Later applications will be considered, but international students must bear in mind the time needed to obtain a visa.

Criminal convictions

You are not required to complete a DBS (Disclosure Barring Service) check or provide a Certificate of Good Conduct to study this course.

If you are currently subject to any licence condition or monitoring restriction that could affect your ability to successfully complete your studies, you will be required to disclose your criminal record. Conditions include, but are not limited to:

access to computers or devices that can store images

use of internet and communication tools/devices

curfews

freedom of movement

contact with people related to Cardiff University.

Course structure

You must select at least two of your four taught modules and complete the dissertation in the area of International Commercial Law. You may also select up to two modules from those listed in any other LLM programme or from a combination of LLM programmes.

The programme is delivered in two stages. Stage One (the taught component) comprises four 30 credit modules. Stage Two comprises the dissertation. Two of the Stage One modules will be taught and assessed in the first semester and the remaining two in the second semester. You will progress to the dissertation upon successful completion of Stage One.

The modules shown are an example of the typical curriculum and will be reviewed prior to the 2020/21 academic year. The final modules will be published by September 2020.

Year One comprises four taught modules totalling 120 credits. Upon successful completion of the taught stage, you will progress to the 60 credit dissertation.

The University is committed to providing a wide range of module options where possible, but please be aware that whilst every effort is made to offer choice this may be limited in certain circumstances. This is due to the fact that some modules have limited numbers of places available, which are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, while others have minimum student numbers required before they will run, to ensure that an appropriate quality of education can be delivered; some modules require students to have already taken particular subjects, and others are core or required on the programme you are taking. Modules may also be limited due to timetable clashes, and although the University works to minimise disruption to choice, we advise you to seek advice from the relevant School on the module choices available.

Learning and assessment

How will I be taught?

Study for an LLM is intensive and challenging and it is important that you take full advantage of the teaching that is provided in order to succeed. Attendance at classes and dissertation supervisions is compulsory and we will expect you to be well prepared.

Our teaching is very flexible and your modules may be delivered through seminars or a combination of lectures and seminars. Other teaching methods include the online use of discussion boards, self-access study packs and formative quizzes and activities.

Modules may be diverse in content to cater for a high proportion of overseas students or students with previous qualifications other than in law. Modules are typically led by experienced staff actively engaged in research relevant to their subject area.

How will I be assessed?

We make use of both formative and summative assessment.

Formative assessments do not count towards your degree but are designed to give you the opportunity to practice for your summative assessments and enable you and your tutors to assess your progress in your modules. Formative assessments will normally involve written coursework or a class test or may comprise individual student presentations.

Summative assessments count towards your degree. Your marks in these assessments count towards your formal progression from stage one (taught modules) to stage two (the dissertation), and towards the determination of your final award. Summative assessments in stage one will vary by module but will typically involve written coursework (5,000 word essays), unseen examinations or pre-release examinations. The dissertation (up to 15,000 words) comprises the stage two summative assessment.

How will I be supported?

We have created a specially designed research and study skills module which is studied by all LLM students at the beginning of the programme. We also offer writing skills support for students whose first language is not English.

Your learning will be supported through e-learning. All modules are supported by Learning Central, a virtual learning environment that is available on and off campus through which you will access a wide range of materials for your modules.

You will receive dedicated pastoral support through our personal tutor scheme. We offer an extensive programme of careers lectures and workshops within the School with an in-house Law Careers Consultant and a Pro-bono Scheme Co-ordinator. A designated Disability and Diversity Officer ensures that reasonable adjustments are made for students with disabilities. The University has a range of services to support you, including the Careers Service, the Counselling Service, the Disability and Dyslexia Service, the Student Support Service and excellent libraries with specialist law librarians and resource centres.

Feedback

Feedback is available through oral feedback during seminars and you will receive written feedback on both your formative and summative assessments. Individual feedback on formative work will help you identify strengths and weaknesses in your learning, as well how you might improve your performance in summative assessments. Written feedback will be made available no later than four weeks from the submission of your assessment.

What skills will I practise and develop?

You are expected to assume a greater responsibility for your education as you undertake your postgraduate studies. Through the LLM, you will acquire and develop a range of valuable skills, both those which are discipline specific and more generic employability skills. During the programme you will be able to extend your communication and presentation skills, both oral and written. You will also be able to develop collaborative skills, take leadership roles and enhance skills of disciplined and independent study.

You will be encouraged to work independently to seek out legal materials for yourself, to read and analyse these materials critically and to present structured and reasoned argument under the guidance of your tutors and supervisors. You will be provided with training in postgraduate research skills to develop your independent legal analysis, research and writing.

You will have the opportunity to develop wider employability skills through participation in the School’s Law in Action pro-bono schemes run with partner organisations, in which student volunteers assist real people in their dealings with the law. The schemes currently include:

Law in Justice: the Innocence Project, (dealing with alleged miscarriages of justice).

Tuition fees

UK and EU students (2020/21)

Financial support may be available to individuals who meet certain criteria. For more information visit our funding section. Please note that these sources of financial support are limited and therefore not everyone who meets the criteria are guaranteed to receive the support.

EU students entering in 2020/21 will pay the same tuition fee as UK students for the duration of their course. Please be aware that fees may increase annually in line with inflation. No decisions regarding fees and loans for EU students starting in 2020/21 have been made yet. These will be determined as part of the UK's discussions on its membership of the EU and we will provide further details as soon as we can.

Students from outside the EU (2020/21)

Financial support may be available to individuals who meet certain criteria. For more information visit our funding section. Please note that these sources of financial support are limited and therefore not everyone who meets the criteria are guaranteed to receive the support.

Career prospects

A law degree doesn’t restrict graduates to careers within the legal profession and law graduates enter professions as diverse as finance, sales and marketing, digital communications and recruitment.

We are committed to extending extracurricular opportunities to our students, helping to enhance their CVs in a competitive graduate job market. We work in partnership with lawyers, charities and voluntary organisations to give students the opportunity to practise and extend their skills and we run several Pro Bono schemes and provide advice to members of the community on different legal issues.

Students successfully completing the LLM programme may have the opportunity to continue their legal study through the School’s PhD programme or through the Centre for Professional Legal Studies professional programmes (the Legal Practice Course or Bar Professional Training Course).